Mack Trucks tallies another strong month

Truckmaker on track to have one of its best years since Great Recession.

August 31, 2011|By Tyrone Richardson, Of The Morning Call

Mack Trucks reported July was another strong month for rig production as companies continue to replenish aging fleets, officials said Tuesday.

Mack produced 1,076 rigs in July, up 41 percent compared with the same time a year ago. The Volvo AB subsidiary has made 10,674 trucks from January through July. Mack's latest figures put the company's production up 61 percent compared with the same span a year earlier, a pace that could make 2011one of its best years since the Great Recession sapped truck demand.

Company officials have said demand for construction vehicles is still low, but the company is profiting from increased demand for highway rigs, which pull trailers and are used in shipping.

Based in Greensboro, N.C., Mack produces all rigs at its 1-million-square-foot facility in Lower Macungie Township, which employs more than 1,000 workers. That includes the roughly 300 workers recently added and a restored second shift to keep up with truck demand.

Volvo AB reported total deliveries in July from the group's truck operations — which includes Volvo and Renault — at 16,898 vehicles, up 18 percent compared with the same month last year.